Pfizer, a well known pharmaceutical company, announced that they are in the late stages of trial and testing on a potential COVID-19 vaccine, which they claim is over 90% effective when tested on patients. This announcement comes nearly one year after the first case of the future pandemic was reported in Wuhan, China.
This has been a long development for Pfizer and the scientific field, as multiple companies have studied, developed and tested possible vaccines for a large portion of 2020. Some of these companies, such as Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and more have all worked towards making a successful vaccine throughout the year, but they have not been successful yet. That’s when Pfizer, led by CEO Albert Bourla, knew they had to step in.
“I think we can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Bourla told CNBC.
This long-awaited announcement has been in the making for quite some time, but an issue stands in the way: how can Pfizer distribute vaccines for the nearly 330 million Americans in time?
First, Pfizer must receive authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is expected in the coming weeks. Once that happens, mass production will begin, sending the vaccines all over the country to hospitals, pharmacies, doctors offices, and more. Pfizer plans to distribute the vials onto trays, with each tray containing approximately 195 vials, which will then be put into coolers. Pfizer plans to have about 100,000 of these coolers by the end of November and more than double that total by March. These vaccines must be stored in areas with a base temperature of -94 degrees Fahrenheit until moments before injection, which is about the temperature of the South Pole on a winter day.
“The process that Pfizer is using to make this vaccine is very different from normal vaccines, and the way they are developing it is much quicker. Pfizer is using a method which takes less time to develop, but will require more risk, so they must be careful,” said Sam Norman, sophomore at Athens Drive High School. Pfizer will have a lot on their hands in the coming months, but the American people look up to them, and the answer remains to be seen if Pfizer can help the people of the United States.
Should this vaccine be successfully tested, approved, and distributed, it would be the quickest approved vaccine in scientific history.
“It is important to understand that the end of the battle against COVID-19 is still months away per the CDC. Even if that is achieved, and some Americans are vaccinated later this year, it will be many more months before there is widespread vaccination in this country.” said Jennifer Hulsey, Health Science Academy Director at Athens Drive.
